My glass slips through my fingers.
I manage to catch it, half of the wine spilling on the floor. I straighten my back immediately, doing my best to stifle my reaction.
“Are you okay?” Evelyne asks.
Briefly, I lock eyes with Adele, who throws me a worried look.
“Yes,” I say and smile.
To prove my point, I take a swig of wine.
“You were saying...?” I mutter.
“One of my friends caught him leaving a bungalow other than yours in the middle of the night.”
A black hole forms in my chest, sucking in my heart. I crush a gasp between my lips, trying to ignore the angry voice in my head.
Does it even matter?
My skin gets cold, and my teeth are about to chatter.
To aggravate me even more, the voice of reason barks in my head.
‘I told you so.’
I stiffen. I can say Evelyne’s words don’t mean a thing, but the truth is, he was gone that night, and I had to wait for him, tied to the bed, until he returned.
My lips crease into a sad smile.
Fucking liar. He’s nothing but a fucking liar. He’s no better than me.
He would’ve left me anyway.
“Good for him, I guess,” I say, detached.
My reaction throws her off, turning her smile into a ghost.
“Anyway, it’s not my business,” I add in a rush, motioning to the living room.
“If you’ll excuse me... I need to talk to my friend.”
I bring an empty gaze to Evelyne, who observes me in silence.
“I guess we’ll see each other again,” I say.
Her eyebrows lift with a questioning look.
“Adele told me you are a speaker at the Chamber of Commerce event,” I say.
“Oh, yes. Are you coming?” she asks, pleasantly surprised.
For the first time this evening, her expression strikes me as genuine.
“Yes.”
Smiling, I grab the wine bottle and my glass and spin away from her.
3